Hot-air drier



April 6, 1926. 1579,705

E. S. HEWITT HOT AIR DRIER Filed August 20 I 1924 Y 2 Shegts-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR. ldf/Yewizz April 6,1926. 1,579,705

E. S. HEWITT HOT AIR DRIER Filed August 20 1924 2 Sheets-She et 2 ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 6, 1926.

- UNITED STATES ELMER S. HEWITT, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

HOT-AIR DRIER.

Application filed August 20, 1924. Serial No. 733,078.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ELMER S. HEWITT, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco, State of California, have invented a new and useful Hot-Air Drier, of which the following is a specification in such full and clear terms as will enable those skilled in the art to construct and use the same.

This invention relates to a hot air drier intended to supply hot air for drying the hands and face in the lavatories of schools, hotels and other public places where the use of towels has sanitary objections.

An object of this invention is to provide means to protect the heating coils from in jury and to prevent anything from being thrown into the coils.

Another object of the invention is to provide the operating lever with a safety device to prevent injury to the switch operating mechanism. I

Another object of the invention is to provide means for simultaneously turning on the air supply whenever the current is turned on the heating coils, thereby preventing them from being heated too hot.

Another object of the invention is to provide means whereby the entire apparatus will be enclosed, except for the operating lever, thereby preventing any unauthorized interference with the apparatus.

Another object of the invention is to provide means whereby the heating coil may be easily inspected or renewed.

Another object 'of the invention is to provide a base or mounting for the apparatus which can be secured in place free from the lavatory floor.

Another object of the invention is to pro vide a drier which can be installed with its air nozzle high or low as may be required in public lavatories or in primary schools.

Another object of the invention is to place the heater coils in such a relation to each other as to cause the air to pass over all of the 'coils' successively, no air being allowed to escape without passing over one or more coils several times.

Another object of the invention is to reduce the towel expense in public lavatories.

Another object of the invention is to reduce the noise of operation of the apparatus, by using compressed air which can easily be piped to any desired distance from the compressing machinery.

Another object of the invention is to pro-v vide a removable cover for the apparatus which will permit easy access to the working parts when necessary.

Other objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds.

An embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which the same reference numeral is applied to the same portion throughout, but I am aware. that there may be modifications thereof.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the apparatus.

Figure 2 tus.

Figure 3 is'a front elevation of the apparatus with the cover removed. g

Figure 1 is a vertical section in a plane at right angles to'Figure 3.

The apparatus is mounted on a cast iron base 1 which has flanges 2 and 3 at top and bottom respectively for securing it to a wall, the height of the apparatus being suited to the average person. The lower portion of the casting has an opening therein to receive j an air pressure supply pipe 1 extending to any desired air supply. The projecting front 5 of the casting has the pipe 6 threaded there-into and which has a union 7 at its upper end to make it easily connected to the a side elevation of the appara heater casing 8 with the aid of the short pipe 9.

The air passage in the base is closed by the valve 10 which has the operating pedal 11 connected thereto, which valve projects through the base at 12 and has the stifi spiral spring 13 connected thereto. The spring 13 is also connected to the lever 14" which is loosely mounted on the projecting end of the valve, the object being to operate the lever 14, but not with force enough to injure.

Another object of the spring 13 is to aid in giving a snap action to the switch. EX- tending upwardly from the lever ll is a link 15 which has a pin 16 at its upper end which extends through a slotted guide bracket 17 secured on the top of the project ing foot 5. Depending from the pin 16 is a short arm 17' which has a roller 18 at its lower end.

Mounted on the-back casting 1 is a switch base 20 which has the four contacts 21 to 24 and a fixed arm or bracket 25 carrying the double knife switch 26 and the operating handle 27, a spring 28 connecting the operating handle to the knife switch blades so it will pull them from one position to another as it is moved up or down. The arrangement of the bracket 17 is such that the pin 16 will push the switch handle down and then pass it; in coming back the pin passes the handle first and then the roller 18 contacts with it and pulls it up.

The heater casing 8 is secured to the top of the casting, the height being determined by the place in which the heater is to be instal.led,-a primary school requiring a much lower heater than a hotel. This casing has a side enclosing plate 30 which when removed allows the removal of the heating coils which are mounted on two libre or heat resisting insulating plates 31, 32.

The coils 33 are mounted in an S shape and are connected to the two wires 3st, 35 extending to the upper contacts of the switch, other wires 86, 37 supplying the current to the heater. The front of the casing is round to receive the flexible air pipe 38, while at an intermediate point the casing is square to provide for the operation of the pivotally mounted valve 39, the object of which is to prevent anything from being dropped or thrown. into the heater. This portion of the casing has a hole at l to allow any liquid to drain out. The baffle plate 8 causes the air to pass across all the coils.

Enclosing the entire structure just described is a decorative metal casing 41 which is secured to the base by the screws 4-3, 44.

In operation the user steps on the pedal 11 and then holds the hands in front of the pipe 38, allowing the hot air to be blown on the hands as long as necessary to dry them, and in the same way it can be used to dry the face.

In order to automatically close the valve and cut off the electric current after the arm 14 has been depressed, the spring 14: lifts said arm as soon as the foot is removed therefrom, thereby closing the valve and restoring the knife switch 26 to the iii-operative position.

In order to provide for a drier that can be used in primary schools, the casing 1 has an opening with a cover plate 41 to allow the heater to be installed lower than is shown in the present drawings whenever necessary.

What I claim is as follows, but modificatio-ns may be made in carrying out the invent-ion and in the above particularly described form thereof, within the purview of the invention as defined by the annexed claims.

1. In a hot air drier, a base, a valve carried by the base, a heater, a pipe extending to the heater from the valve, electric current wires extending to the heater, and a foot pedal for opening the valve and for closing the circuit on said Wires.

2. In a hot air drier, a base, an air pipe connected thereto, a pedal operated valve in the base, heater casing, an S-shaped series of electric coils in said casing, means operated by the foot pedal to close the heater circuit and simultaneously turn a. current of air into the heater coils.

3. In a hot air drier, a base, an air pipe connected thereto, a valve. in the base, a pedal for operating the valve, a plurality of electric heating coils in the air passageway and a bailieplate for causing the air to pass over all of the coils in succession before being discharged from the drier.

4. In a hot air drier, a base, an air pipe the base, an S-shaped set of heater coils, a casing to enclose the coils, a ba-file plate in the casing to pass all the air over the entire set of heater coils.

5. In hot air drier, a base, an air inlet and discharge pipe connected thereto, a pedal operated valve in the base, a heater casing, a side plate enclosing said casing, a series of heating coils, a detachable plate on the side of the casing to remove or insert said coils at will, and means to pass the air over all the coils.

6. A hot air drier comprising a casing, electric heating coils therein, a compressed air passage leading to the coils and away from them, and a pivotally mounted valve adapted to close when the air pressure is ofi to prevent tampering with the coils.

7. A hot air drier comprising a casing, electric heating coils therein, a compressed air passage leading to and from said coils, a' valve to control the air, manual means to fully open the valve and means to allow the valve operating mechanism to move an uncertain distance further without changing the position of the valve and without injury thereto.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this th day of August A. D. 1924.

ELMER s. HEWITT.

'80 extending thereto, a pedal operated valve in 

